On 29 April 2004 Rita Aruaz Molina, the Global Fund Board Member representing Civil Society Organisations in the developing world, visited KECOFATUMA members to share experiences of the Global Fund and to hear the wishes of Civil Society in Kenya. Wanjiku Kamau, a Kenyan consultant attended the meeting on behalf of the Global Fund Board member for developed world NGOs and Vice Chair of the board.

With the KECOFATUMA GFATM Round 4 Proposals

(Left to Right) Jennipher Otieno, Matthew Black, Rita Aruaz Molina, Mwangi Kimani, Mester Theuri, Simeon Kanani and Wanjiku Kamau

The meeting was most productive, Rita was glad to hear the views of KECOFATUMA and similarly, we were relieved to hear that some of the problems we had encountered were not exclusive to Kenya and that Rita could identify with many of the Kenyan issues from experience of those in her home country of Nicaragua.

KECOFATUMA members talking business with the Global Fund

After meeting with KECOFATUMA, Rita attended the East and Southern Africa regional conference of Country Coordinated Mechanisms (CCM) in Nairobi on 3-5 May. Here, the cross-sectoral bodies coordinating Global Fund applications and implementation for 19 African Countries were in attendance to discuss Global Fund mechanisms and draw on lessons learned across East and Southern Africa.

Dr. Kanani shows Rita some of the 400 Civil Society concepts that KECOFATUMA brought together into a single proposal to the Kenya CCM

KECOFATUMA is grateful to Rita for the time she offered to hear our concerns and for the close contact we have kept since. She is a worthy representative for Civil Society in developing nations.

Further information about the Nairobi conference is contained in Global Fund Observer newsletter available at www.aidspan.org/gfo/archives/newsletter